Fabric of Life
by Whitecloud1
Summary: Business separates Byakuya and Renji on Byakuya's Birthday.  Set six months after Twice in a Lifetime.


**Fabric of Life**

Set six months after Twice in a Lifetime.

I do not own any part of Tite Kubo's Bleach. I do however, own the story idea for two of my favorite Bleach characters. Enjoy. Happy Birthday, Byakuya (31 January).

* * *

The phone by the bedside buzzed once before the sleepy occupant answered the call. Still hazy with sleep, the man placed the phone to his ear.

"Happy Birthday, Byakuya."

Byakuya smiled. "Thanks, Renji."

"Am I the first to call you?"

Byakuya laughed lightly. "Yes, you are. No one else would dare call me at..." he pulled the phone from his ear to check the time '...four forty-five in the morning."

"Good. I'm still the first. I was going to call you just after midnight, but I was in a cell dead zone area."

Byakuya smiled. "Yes, you are the first, although I suspect Rukia will not be too far behind you."

"Yes!" Renji laughed. "What are you doing today?"

Byakuya smiled wider at Renji's enthusiasm. "I am being treated to lunch at The Gage by Rukia and Karin."

"Good, I didn't want to you to be alone today. I'm just sorry I'm not there to celebrate with you."

"Renji, we spoke about this before you left. I will be fine. Your call – hearing your voice - it is enough for me."

"That is the biggest load of crap I ever heard, but if you believe it..."

Byakuya nearly rolled off the bed. "Renji, really. We are professionals, and sometimes our schedules just will not permit us to be together. You'll be home soon enough."

"Are you going to hold me to a 'birthday week' celebration?" Renji was chuckling.

"Don't be ridiculous, Renji."

"Right, then. 'Birthday month' it is. You drive a hard bargain. Hold on."

Byakuya was not one to roll his eyes, but he was tempted. He heard some talking in the background.

"Hey, Byakuya, I have to go. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Renji."

"Wait...I almost forgot...there'll be a special delivery tonight sometime between six and six-thirty. You need to be home by then, okay?"

"Yes, I will be home by then."

"Lov-"

The call dropped. Byakuya shook his head, threw the covers off, and got out of bed.

* * *

Byakuya stood in front of the bathroom mirror. He had just finished shaving, and it brought back memories of five days earlier.

Renji, dressed in a white button-down dress shirt and dark dress pants, had come up from behind Byakuya just as he had finished shaving, and had put arms around him. Renji whispered in Byakuya's ear, "I hate to leave like this and miss your birthday."

"Renji, I will be fine."

"No, it's _not_ fine. Birthdays are special, and I'll miss your first birthday since we've been together."

Renji had kissed Byakuya's neck, then looked into the mirror at their reflection. "Renji, I assure you, it is not something I worry about." Renji had gone back to kissing Byakuya's neck while still hugging him from behind. "However, if you would like to make it up to me in advance..."

Renji had smiled against Byakuya's neck. "I've got a few hours before I have to be at the airport..."

Byakuya closed his eyes, remembering the feel of Renji's starched shirt against his bare back, the warm breath against his neck, and the smell of Renji's cologne. He shivered. God, he missed Renji right now.

He breathed out heavily, and opened his eyes. _Three more days, and he will be home from Asia. _He left the bathroom to get dressed.

* * *

The morning had passed by in a flurry of paperwork, interviews, and phone calls. Byakuya now found himself seated in a small restaurant, facing his two sisters-in-law. Another memory came unbidden. It was just before the Thanksgiving holiday, and there was back and forth as to where they would celebrate the day. Karin, pointed out to him that when Renji and Ichigo had committed themselves to each other, Renji had become her brother. Rukia, agreeing wholeheartedly. "You are family, no matter what. You are all coming to our house for Thanksgiving dinner." Renji had just laughed, telling Byakuya that _he_ now had what he always wanted: two bossy sisters.

Byakuya smiled at the recollection.

"Someone is lost in a good memory."

Byakuya looked up from the menu at Karin.

"Kismet," The two women glanced at each other and then looked at Byakuya. "My favorite dish is on the menu on my birthday," Byakuya explained. "Kismet."

He closed the menu and placed it on the table.

"Did Renji call you this morning?" inquired Karin in her journalistic voice.

"Yes, at four forty-five."

"Way to go Renji," Rukia laughed. "Did he give you anything?"

"We will celebrate when he gets home."

"Renji always makes a big deal about birthdays," Karin added. "I can't believe the idiot isn't here." Karin took a sip of her water. "Did he send anything, at least?"

Rukia asked, "What, like flowers?"

"Flowers, he brings in person," Karin replied. "He never has those delivered by anyone but himself. Renji has a florist that does the best arrangements. I think Renji designs the arrangements personally and has the florist bring his creations to life."

"The flowers he gave to me a few weeks ago on my birthday are still beautiful," Rukia said. "You really think he designed the arrangement?"

Byakuya remembered Renji sketching the design for Rukia's birthday flowers. The level of detail, the arrangement sitting on Rukia's home office desk, looked like a black and white photograph, rather than a hand rendered drawing. When Renji added colors to the design, the flowers exploded out of the still life. When Renji had picked up the floral composition on the way to dinner with Rukia, Byakuya had been astounded at how the florist had created the arrangement, down to the very last detail.

Karin turned towards Byakuya. "So, did you get anything else yet? Bedsides the call, I mean?"

Byakuya now found himself eagerly anticipating six o'clock. "He told me to expect a special delivery between six and six-thirty this evening," he said, non-nonchalantly.

Karin and Rukia glanced at each other briefly. Then Karin's phone buzzed. She glanced down at to see who the caller was. "Sorry, I need to take this. Excuse me." She got up and left her two companions alone at the table.

"You miss him," Rukia stated, looking at her brother steadily. "Byakuya, I am glad you and Renji found each other. He is a perfect match for you. The two of you are yin and yang."

"You are not upset that Renji is my partner?" Byakuya wondered if Rukia resented that her brother-in-law had moved on with his life and chosen a man, instead of a woman.

"Byakuya, when you find a soul mate, you cannot control what form they take—male or female. I know you loved my sister with all of your being. You floundered for so long after Hisana died, I thought you were going to waste away. Renji is good for you, and from what I hear from Karin, you are good for Renji."

Byakuya remembered a similar, yet more direct conversation, with Karin a few weeks before at Rukia's party. She had looked him in the eyes and simply asked him, "Do you love him with all that you are?" Unflinchingly, he had answered, "Yes." Karin had then declared that was good enough for her.

"Sorry about that," Karin said, as she returned to the table. "I shouldn't be interrupted again."

Their meals arrived, and the rest of the lunch passed by with good food and pleasant conversation. As the trio finished their after lunch tea and coffee, Byakuya's phone rang. He excused himself to take the call.

"Yes, Nanao?" He listened attentively to his administrative assistant for a few minutes. "Are they there, waiting?" There was more silence, as the two women signaled for the check.

"Yes, I'd be happy to give them the tour. Please let them know I will be there in ten minutes. Thank you."

He looked to his sisters. "Looks like you won't be able to go home early today," Karin smirked.

"One of our major benefactors to the the Art Institute has requested I give his niece and nephew a personal tour of the modern art wing. They are both studying art history in college."

The women stood up, hugged and kissed Byakuya, wished him a happy birthday, and then he was gone.

"At least now, he won't be pacing by the door waiting for six o'clock," said Rukia, smiling as she watched Byakuya pass by the front window of the restaurant.

"Yeah, that was close. Would he really be pacing by the door?" inquired Karin.

"He is never late. For anything."

"Good thing the tour will keep him occupied with just enough time to get home at six o'clock," Karin added with a wink.

The two women laughed.

* * *

Byakuya was not one to rush, but he found himself racing to get home in time to receive the delivery. He looked at his watch. The tour of the gallery had taken longer than he had expected. Now, he was running late getting home, and he was worried he would miss the delivery completely.

Byakuya made it into the vestibule of the building just as his watch clicked to six o'clock.

He was just placing his key into the inside door, when the outer door opened behind him. He saw a delivery man with a large flat parcel, one that reminded him of how a painting might be packed, on a dolly. The delivery agent was looking down his clipboard to match the name on the buzzers. He reached to the one with Abarai/Kuchiki.

"Excuse me, is that delivery for Byakuya Kuchiki?"

The man turned to Byakuya. "Yes, it is."

"I am Byakuya Kuchiki."

"Great, let me deliver this inside your place."

Minutes later, after the the delivery man left, Byakuya retrieved a pair of heavy duty scissors from the desk to cut the twine around the package. He removed the brown kraft paper from the parcel, removed the contents from the protective foam crate, then carefully unwrapped the frame from the second layer of kraft paper.

Byakuya was stunned. It was indeed a painting: an oil painting of him, asleep. He lay on his side, the sheet was draped around his hips, one leg exposed. Early morning sunlight dappled his body and his face. His facial expression was peaceful. The bed – the items around the bed were familiar – it was when they were at Renji's apartment. The painting looked so real, it was as though it was a living photograph. Byakuya's fingers gently touched the brush strokes of the artwork, and he noticed the signature in the corner bottom left hand corner..._Abarai._

"Do you like it?" came the familiar rough baritone. Byakuya looked up and saw Renji standing just in front of him.

"_You_ did this?" Byakuya asked, looking at Renji, still awestruck at the gift before him.

Renji nodded, and smiled.

"It's beautiful, Renji."

"I started this the first night we spent together. We went back to bed after being on the balcony; I got up just before dawn. I saw you on the bed, and you were the most exquisite sight I'd ever seen. I picked up my sketch pad, and I just drew the picture I saw before me. Then the sun rose, and the sunlight made your face and body glow. I drew it all. You woke up about ten minutes later."

Renji paused as he watched Byakuya drink in the painting once more.

"After I sketched you, I realized I needed to see it in a more permanent form. I painted this in my studio at the office. I finished it a few months ago, but waited to give it to you now." Renji chuckled. "I'm going to miss seeing this everyday at my office."

There was silence, as a stunned Byakuya looked at Renji and Renji, grinning, looked back at his soul mate.

"But how did you make it home?" Byakuya asked finally. "I thought you were in Asia this morning when you called."

"I was in California. They were refueling the company jet when I was on the phone with you." Renji walked over to Byakuya, and cupped his face in his hands. "Did you really think I would miss your birthday?" He leaned in for a gentle kiss. Renji and Byakuya placed their foreheads together, breathing in each other's essences.

"I missed you." They both laughed, as the sentiment was voiced at the same time.

* * *

As the two men lay in bed later that night, Byakuya thought how lucky he was to have Renji there by his side. Renji's slow rhythmic breathing pattern indicated he was sound asleep. He was jet-lagged having crossed over ten time zones to get back home in time to celebrate his partner's birthday. Byakuya looked over to the opposite wall at his painting. He was so deeply touched by Renji's talent and thoughtfulness, he thought – no, he _knew_ – he would always be loved like this. Renji had woven himself into the fabric his life so easily.

Byakuya looked over to Renji, sleeping ever so peacefully. This was the best gift of all—Renji. He gently placed a kiss on Renji's cheek. "I love you, Renji," he whispered against his lover's face. Renji roused a bit, smiled sleepily, pulled Byakuya closer, and mumbled, "Love you. Happy Birthday, Byakuya."

Wrapped in warmth and love, Byakuya smiled, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Thanks to my beta extraordinaire, Rukilex, who edited this despite the fact that she found she needed to brush her teeth and go on a diet after reading this exceedingly sweet story. _Je vous remercie beaucoup mon amie. _


End file.
